Films having a decorative, prismatic or holographic appearance are known in the art. These conventional films, however, are dominated by polyester films, which are able to handle the high temperatures needed for this application and provide a visually appealing and strong finished product. One of the advantages to using the film of the present invention (e.g., a biaxially oriented polypropylene film), is in the economics. The polyolefin films (e.g., OPP) of the present invention are less dense than those films made from polyethylene terephthalate, and thus they offer cost savings to the purchaser in an improved yield for the same amount of film by weight. They also may be more easily tailored for advantages or benefits in terms of physical properties such as sealability, oxygen and water barrier properties, coefficient of friction, or printability.
The film of the present invention has been tailored to provide a substrate that is easy to emboss, provides a brilliant embossed and metallized surface, and also contains a high energy treated surface on the unembossed side for further converting. Further, the film of the present invention provides color or optical effects that were previously only available with coating or laminating steps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,318 to Migliorini, et al. discloses a metallized oriented film combination having a propylene polymer substrate with a high density polyethylene skin layer on at least one side thereof and a thin metal layer deposited on the surface of the high density polyethylene. U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,318 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,074 to Migliorini discloses a metallized oriented film combination having a propylene polymer substrate with an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) skin layer on at least one side thereof and a thin aluminum layer deposited on the surface of the EVOH. U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,074 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,520 to Migliorini, et al. discloses a metallized oriented film combination having a propylene polymer substrate with an amorphous polyamide or a blend of amorphous polyamide and a semicrystalline polyamide layer on at least one side thereof and a thin vacuum metallized layer deposited on the surface of the polyamide. U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,520 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,109 to Haas discloses an embossed ethylene-propylene copolymer film having a thickness of less than or equal to 24 microns. A method and apparatus for making the film by blow-extruding the ethylene-propylene copolymer into a tubular web, pinching the tubular web between pinch rolls, and embossing the pinched web by passing it between an embossing roll and a pressure roll. U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,109 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Copending allowed U.S. application Ser. No. 09/280,475 by Migliorini et at filed Mar. 30, 1999, granted as U.S. Pat. No. 6,391,425 on May 21, 2002, discloses an embossed, cast polyolefin film or an embossed, oriented polyolefin film that comprises: (a) a core layer comprising a propylene polymer; (b) an embossed outer layer on one side of the core layer, the embossed outer layer comprising an olefin polymer capable of being embossed; and (c) an additional outer layer on a side of the core layer opposite to the embossed outer layer, the additional outer layer comprising an olefin polymer. The embossed film can then be metallized to produce a shiny, metallic film having a decorative, prismatic or holographic appearance.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,829 to Daecher et al discloses an apparatus for formation of high quality plastic sheet in a continuous fashion. Also disclosed are a variety of optical and electronic display applications for high quality plastic sheet produced in a continuous fashion. U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,829 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,446 to Cox et al discloses a holographic shrink wrap element containing a shrink wrap film and a layer on the shrink wrap film, wherein the layer contains a holographic image. A process for preparing a holographic shrink wrap element includes providing, in the following order, a holographic polymer film having a holographic surface, a layer on the holographic surface and a shrink wrap film, and removing the holographic polymer film, leaving the holographic image on the layer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,446 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,687 to Malott discloses a passive, reusable visual amusement or warning device includes a handle and a number of light diffracting strips bearing an embossed holographically generated diffraction pattern. The diffraction pattern in the foil is produced in a planar format, and the strips bearing the pattern are displayed and viewed in a curved format. Ambient light striking the strips is diffracted to produce a dynamic, kaleidoscopic readily noticed display of brilliant colors. U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,687 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,636 to Nilsen et al discloses a continuous process for producing printed patterns on retroreflective material, wherein a partially cured pattern is printed on a roll of film and partially cured cube-corner prisms are bonded to the film over the printed matter thereby encapsulating the printed matter to protect the printed matter from the environment. U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,636 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Copending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/757,175 by Lu et al, filed Jan. 9, 2001, published as U.S. Publication Ser. No. 2003/0021981 on Jan. 30, 2003, discloses a multi-layered colored thermoplastic film comprising an opaque core layer comprising a thermoplastic material and a first skin layer comprising a thermoplastic material with a coloring agent adjacent tote core layer, and a method of producing same. Copending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/757,175, published as U.S. Publication Ser. No. 2003/0021981 on Jan. 30, 2003, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.